Deirdre O'Shaughnessy talks to makeup artist Katie Power about how looking your best can make you feel your best.

Makeup is a funny thing. In Elizabethan times, lip and cheek colours were made from crushed beetle shells; face powders, to whiten the complexion, were made from lead and mercury, and were sometimes so thick that the mask would crack if a woman changed her expression.

In Victorian times and up until the beginning of the last century, it was frowned on for women to wear rouge or face powders. And even until relatively recently, it was rare for Irish women to wear more makeup than foundation and, perhaps, lipstick.

However, with the addition of plenty of money and a certain amount of style, Irish women, and even some Irish men, have changed radically.

"Irish people are getting better," says makeup artist Katie Power. "Even men have more style and glamour. Even with a recession on, women are still looking after themselves."

These days we have a huge choice of cosmetics to choose from and most of us won't leave the house without our war paint on.

According to Katie, however, the old rule still applies: less is more. And, with the glut of cosmetics on the market, some of us are at risk of doing with our faces what we would never do with our bodies: trying to wear it all at once. There are a number of do's and don'ts to guide us through what has become a minefield of products.

As a professional makeup artist who now teaches others to apply makeup at her company's two Galway schools and others around the country, Katie knows the pitfalls and the secrets to getting it right.

Asked what her tips would be, Katie is very definite on her first: the importance of a good skincare routine.

"Invest in skincare products; Lancome is good, or Crème de la Mer if you can spend that much! Estee Lauder is good too. Get a good cleanser, toner and moisturiser. Avoid wipes – they are so dehydrating."

The most basic problem among Irish women is a misunderstanding of what foundation is for, she says. In this age of choice, there are still far too many of us who use terracotta-coloured foundation.

"Match your foundation as closely as possible to your skin colour. Your evening look shouldn't be different to your day look; if you want to go darker, use a bronzer."

In keeping foundation perfect, powder is the key, according to Katie. "Powder is good to hold foundation for the day, especially a loose powder. Use a foundation brush, so that you're not wasting any product, and you get full coverage without it being too heavy."